Suction cleaner



W. H. KlTTO April 39, 31935.

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Ivay 5, 1933 IN VE N TO R Wjiam HM ATTORNEYPatented Apr. 30, 1935 l n UN/ITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE sUc'rroNCLEANER William H. Kitto, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company,North Canton, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Application May 5, 1933,Serial No. 669,489

6 Claims. (Cl. 15-8) The present invention relates to suction clean-'which comprises a nozzle I, encircled and proers in general, and moreparticularly to a new tected by a resilient furniture guard 2, a motorand novel agitator bearing-protective construccasing 3 which houses anunshown driving motor tion for use in a suction cleaner. arranged todrive the unshown suction-creating 5 It is an object of the presentinvention to promeans of the cleaner, a pivoted handle 4, through 5 videa new and improved suction cleaner agitator which the operator may exertthe propelling force construction. A further object is the provisionAnecessary to operate theI cleaner, and the usual of a new and novelconstruction to prevent the supporting wheels 5, 5, etc. which make themacollection of dirt and foreign matter inthe agichine readily movable.Within the nozzle I and lo tator bearing. Still another object is theproviextending transversely thereacross is a rotary agision, in asuction cleaner, of an agitator contator comprising a relatively largediameter cystruction which includes a supporting shaft, a lindrcal body6 which is provided on its surface rotatable body mounted upon theshaft, a bearwith helically extending surface contacting beater ingwhich rotatably supports the body upon the elements l, 1, and whichcarries brushes 8, 8

shaft, and means concentric with the bearing and which co-operate withthe beater elements to 15 the shaft to protect the said bearing fromforremove the foreign matter from the surface coveign matter. These andother more specific obering. Substantially centrally of the body 6 isjects will appear upon reading the following speprovided a pulleysurface 9 of reduced diameter cication and claims, and upon consideringin which as adapted to receive a driving belt from connection therewiththe attached drawing to an unshown motor pulley. Athrough supporting 20which they relate. shaft II! extends across the nozzle I and is non- Inthe drawing, in which a preferred embodirotatably mounted in SuitableSupports at the ment of the present invention is disclosed: nozzle sidewalls. The shaft rotatably supports Figure l is a front view of a modernsuction body 6 by means of a ball bearing II at each of cleaner with thenozzle partially broken away its ends, the outer rate 0f each bearingseating 25 showing a rotary agitator embodied therein; Within an endwall or cup I2 on the outer shoul- Figure 2 is an enlarged section ofthe end conder I3 of which an end of the cylindrical body struction ofthe cleaner agitator; seats. Each end wall or annulus I2 is shapedFigure 3 is a side elevation of the agitator, in a very denite manner,beine formed with a partially in section, showing thebearing-protectperipheral flange I4, a Cirenmferential Channel 30 ingmeans constructed in accordance with the l5, Which, in the assembledrelation, iS divided present invention; and into channels I6 and I 'I bya permanently ati Figure 4 is an exploded View of the agitator endtaohed ring member i3. A seal I9 iS Carried by construction made inaccordance with the present the end wall I2 which encircles the shaft I0construction. closely adjacent the bearing II and prevents the 35 In themodern suction cleaner positive agitatpassage of dirt-laden airtherethrough with the ing means are provided to assist the cleaning airhelp of a Seal 20 Which iS Carried by the bearing in its function ofremoving foreign matter from itself upon its opposite Side. the surfacecovering undergoing cleaning. It has A member, Commonly known as athreadbeen determined that rotary agitators, comprisguard, indicatedgenerally by the reference char- 40 ing a large diameter body providedwith rigid acter 2l, is manufactured of three piecescomsurface-conta/cting beating elements and flexible DI'iSing a Plate22, provided With an Outer flange' surface-contacting brushes, are themost satis- 23. a channeled ring 24, the axially eXtending factoryagitators. Such agitators are normally sides of which are indicated bythe reference positioned within the cleaner nozzle in the pathcharacters 25 and 26 and which are of such diam- 45 of the cleaning airwhich carries the foreign mateter that they are adapted-t0 extend withinthe ter from the surface covering undergoing clean- Channels I6 and l1,and a nut member 2l, which ing. In Isuch position it is necessary toprotect secures the thread-guard to the threaded end of the agitatorbearings from the passing foreign the stationary shaft Ill. Formanufacturing matter. In the agitator constructed in accordpurposes, itis found desirable to make the 50 ance with the present invention meanshave been thread-guard 2| of the three elements described, providedwhich insure the long life of the bearbut in actual use in a suctioncleaner these ele- Iings and their freedom from foreignrnatter. mentsare xedly and permanently secured to- Referring again to the drawing,and Figure 1 gether, as by welding, and form a unitary conin particular,a modern suction cleaner is shown struction, as do the end-cup I2 andthe ring I8. 55

In the'operative relationship the inner race of the bearing II seatsuponthe shouldered end of the shaft I and supports the channeled end cup I2.A spring washer 28 contacts the outer race of the bearing II and theseal I9 and resiliently opposes axial movement of the outer bearing racerelative to the inner. The bearing is retained on the shaft by thethread-guard 2| which seats in screw-threaded relationship thereon. Withthe thread-guard in place its outer flange 23 overlies the radial flangeI4 of the end cup while the flanges 25 and 26 extend within, but arespaced from the walls of, the channels I6 and I1, providing a labyrinthconstruction in which a circuitous path is formed between the exteriorof the agitator and the interior of the bearing II. Viewed separatelythe individual flanges I4 and 23 cooperate to provide a narrow openingand to restrict the passage of foreign matter inwardly toward thebearing II. The anges 25 and 26 cooperate with air channels I6 and II toprovide a winding pathway which air or foreign matter must traverse inreaching the bearing. In cooperation with this protection are the sealsI9 and 20.

I claim:-

1. A suction cleaner agitator including a rotary body, a stationarysupporting shaft, a bearing on said shaft, an end member supporting saidbody on said bearing, concentric radially spaced channels in one side ofsaid member, a stationary end plate carried by said shaft adjacent saidend member and provided with concentric spaced flanges extended intosaid channels, and cooperating therewith to form a labyrinth to protectsaid bearing against the ingress of foreign matter.

2. A suction cleaner agitator including a rotary body, a stationarysupporting shaft, a bearing on said shaft, an end member rotatablysupporting said body on said bearing, said member being provided with aradially extending flange on its periphery and spaced concentric axiallyextending channels, a stationary end plate seated on said shaft providedwith an outer flange overlying said radially extending flange and spacedconcentric flanges extending in said channels, said flanges and channelscooperating to form a labyrinth to protect said bearing against theingress of foreign matter.

3. A suction cleaner agitator including a body,

a stationary supporting shaft, a bearing on said shaft, an annulus ofchannel section with the sides of the channel parallel to the body axisseated on said bearing and rotatably supporting said body. a ringpermanently secured in the channel in said annulus and forming twoconcentric channels, a stationary flanged plate adjacent said annuluswith its ange extended thereover, a screw threaded nut permanentlyattached to said plate securing it to said shaft, a channelled ringmember permanently attached to said plate member with the sides of saidchannel extended into the spaced channels formed in said annulus, thewalls of said ring cooperating with the spaced channels to form alabyrinth to protect said bearing against the ingress of foreign matter.

4. In a suction cleaner agitator, a cylindrical closed body, a shaftextended thru said body, a bearing seated on said shaft, means seated onsaid bearing and mounting said body thereon, said means includingradially spaced axially and outwardly directed circular walls, a guardmember enclosing said shaft in substantially air tight relationship atthe end of said body and immediately adjacent said means and includinginwardly directed circular Walls, and means sealing said first means tosaid shaft adjacent said bearing.

5. In a suction cleaner agitator adapted to be positioned in adirt-laden air stream, a cylindrical closed body, an end wall closingone end of said body, said wall being formed with a bearingreceivingseat and radially spaced circular channels around said seat, a bearingin said seat, a shaft seated in said bearing, and a guard member carriedby said shaft adjacent said end wall and provided with circular radiallyspaced axially extending walls which extend into the channels formed insaid end Wall.

6. In a suction cleaner agitator adapted to be positioned in adirt-laden air stream, a cylindrical closed body, an end wall closingone end of said body, a bearing carried by said wall, a shaft carried bysaid bearing, and a guard member mounted on said shaft in sealedrelationship adjacent said end Wall, said end wall and said guard memberbeing provided with cooperating channels and flanges positionedconcentric relative to the axis of rotation and Within the circumferenceof said closed body.

WILLIAM H. KITTO.

